Toothpick dispenser



y 13, 1943 L. H. wHdR'rou El'AL 2,319,570 I TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed Oct. 5, 1940 Patented May 18, 194-3 Leo H. Wharton and Ralph L. Minshall, Donna,

Tex; said Minshall assign'or' to J. R} Huffington, v

Bexar County, Tex.

Application October 5, 1940, Serial No. 359,962

2. Claims.

This invention relates to the dispensing of toothpicks in restaurants", cafes, hotels and the like; and has only one working part, which is a roller, which roller is provided with longitudinal grooves for thepurpose of receiving and conveying the toothpicks through the bottom of the box-like hopper which holds them. The roller has a knob at each end, either of which may be dialled to turn the roller in either direction to deliver a toothpick one by one upon the sloping apron below the roller, to be accessible by the patrons.

An object of the invention is to provide an ornamental toothpick dispenser, with a glass front so that the customer or patron can see the toothpicks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple sanitary method for dispensing articles such as toothpicks in restaurants, cafes, hotels, and even private homes, one at a time. The sanitary features of the invention are due to the fact that the toothpicks need not be fingered by any person, other than the patron himself who takes his toothpick from the hopper bottom, by reaching between the ears of the apron. The hopper that contains the supply of toothpicks (Ci. era-s4) holds a little more than a full box (carton) of standard round white maple toothpicks, so there is no necessity whatever for any person to have touched the individual toothpick, until the user or patron handles it himself.

Another object of the invention, when used in wood, and there is no other working part to wear out. As can be readily seen from the. drawing, the roller and roller knobs may be easily replaced.

Other objects of the invention are apparent from the drawing of the invention, and the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of the parts, which are herein more fully described and claimed, reference to be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser;

Figure 2 is a front view of the device;

Figure 3 is an end view of the device; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the same with the top removed.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3. j

The' dispenser comprises" a box-like case 2, having a top I and a base" 5. The fiat base supports the back andthe two ends of the ease. The

interior of the case is divided by the hopper bottom 3 into an upper compartment or hopper to contain the toothpicks or articles that are to be dispensed.

The hopper bottom is provided with a longitudinal roller space therein.

The roller 3 comprising the feeding device is provided with an axle l l at each end, which axles are mounted in bearing openings in the ends of the case to support the roller axially in the roller space of the hopper bottom.

The roller is provided with longitudinal grooves 'i in the cylindrical surface shaped to receive the toothpicks.

A knob 4 for manually operating the roller is mounted on each axle II, and is fixed thereon by a set screw l2.

A feed plate 6 is provided to support and guide the toothpicks against the roller 3. This plate is not absolutely necessary. The sole advantage is that the supply of toothpicks in the hopper may run to a lower level with it installed than without it.

A removable glass plate l0, slidably mounted in guiding grooves forms the front of the upper compartment. This not only makes the toothpicks visible, butalso informs the patrons and the public as to the use and nature of the device.

After the toothpicks are carried through the hopper bottom by the roller they fall by gravity upon the apron 9 and are thus served to the patron.

The grooves in the roller are formed to fit standard toothpicks but, while of suiiicient size to receive large size toothpicks, they will nevertheless also serve smaller sizes, although in that case they may occasionally serve two from the same groove, but this is not objectionable. In other words, the groove must be shaped to fit the article that is to be dispensed.

The hopper bottom 8 serves to hold the supply of toothpicks and has a slot in the middle from one end to the other, in which the roller is accurately fitted, so that it works easily. The operation of the dispenser is as follows: The cover is moved to open the upper compartment and a quantity of toothpicks are placed therein substantially parallel with the axis of the roller. The roller can then be turned in either direction, manually by the knob, whereby the toothpick,

lodged in a groove of the roller, is conveyed through the roller space of the hopper bottom and drops upon the apron in position to be picked up by the patron.

The cover I has laterally projecting tongues l3 adapted to extend into grooves M at the upper ends of the side walls of the dispenser thereby slidably mounting the cover.

The details of the construction shown may be altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising a base, side and rear walls mounted upon the base and extending upwardly therefrom and forming a retangular receptacle, a cover slidably mounted upon the upper ends of said walls, a partition mounted in the receptacle intermediate the ends of the walls thereby forming an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said partition having a roller space therein extending between said side walls, a feed roller rotatably mounted in said side walls to lie axially in said roller space, said roller having grooves on the surface shaped to receive the articles to be dispensed and knobs on the ends of the rollers for manipulating the roller.

2. A dispensing apparatus comprising a base, side and rear walls mounted upon the base and extending upwardly therefrom and forming a rectangular receptacle, a cover slidably mounted upon the upper ends of said Walls, a partition mounted in the receptacle intermediate the ends of the walls thereby forming an upper compartment and a lower compartment, said partition having a roller space therein extending between said side walls, a feed roller rotatably mounted in said side walls to lie axially in said roller space, said roller having grooves on the surface shaped to receive the articles to be dispensed, knobs on the ends of the rollers for manipulating the roller, a transparent plate mounted to form the front wall of the upper compartment and receiving means mounted in the lower compartment and comprising upwardly curved spaced-apart arms to receive the articles dispensed from the upper compartment by said roller.

LEO H. WHORTON. RALPH L. MINSHALL. 

